Bauru is expecting the resumption of works at ETE Vargem Limpa The construction of the Sewage Treatment Station (ETE) Vargem Limpa, in Bauru (SP), was resumed this Tuesday (28) by Consortium Saneamento Bauru, winner of the tender for the concession of the municipality's sewage system, signed in April this year. The works began in 2015, but had been suspended since September 2021, when the City Hall terminated the contract with COM Engenharia, the company responsible for construction at the time, after pointing out problems in the execution and structural flaws identified in technical reports. ? Join the g1 Bauru and Marília channel on WhatsAp Works at ETE Vargem Limpa are resumed in Bauru after a four-year shutdown Gabriel Sato/TV TEM The interruption left the station with around 60% of the structure completed and meant that Bauru continued treating only 2.85% of the sewage generated, one of the worst rates in the state of São Paulo, according to the 2026 Sanitation Ranking, from Instituto Trata Brasil (ITB). Consortium Saneamento Bauru took over the concession after presenting the biggest discount on the maximum sewage tariff, with a tariff factor of 0.62, equivalent to a discount of 38%. The new tariff, however, will only come into effect after the completion of the ETE. In this first stage, the work is focused on reconfiguring the station's electromechanical equipment. Despite this, the start of civil works depends on authorization from the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb) for the sewage treatment technology chosen by the consortium. "We depend on authorization from Cetesb to adopt the technology that we adopted as the chosen one, for technical, environmental and financial reasons, and we are ready to seek time optimization", said Nei Moreira, CEO of the concessionaire in an interview with TV TEM. Works at ETE Vargem Limpa resume in Bauru after a four-year shutdown Gabriel Sato/TV TEM The contract provides for up to 36 months to complete the ETE. In addition to the completion and operation of the station, the concession includes investments in improvements to the sewage system, implementation of water meters, modernization of commercial management, monitoring of urban drainage and works to reduce flooding problems on Avenida Nações Unidas. By 2028, it is also planned to complete the Vargem Limpa, Tibiriçá and Candeia sewage treatment plants (ETEs), in addition to the implementation of sewage outfalls and a water treatment plant (ETA). Aerial view of the ETE Vargem Limpa works in Bauru (SP) Bauru City Hall/Disclosure Controversial concession The approval of the concession for the Bauru sewage system, in May 2024, generated controversy and ended up blocking the City Council's agenda for several months, due to disagreements between councilors about the terms of the contract, tariff values ??and the concessionaire's responsibilities. The impasse was only overcome after legal and technical analyzes that confirmed the legality and viability of the project, allowing the concession to be finally approved in May 2024 and sanctioned by Mayor Suéllen Rosim. Concession for the sewage treatment plant is approved by the Bauru Chamber. The project will be financed with resources from the Sewage Treatment Fund (FTE) and the sewage tariff, already charged alongside the water bill. The concession notice for Bauru's sewage treatment service was opened in 2024. Throughout the process, the document also suffered two extensions and five suspensions, some by court order and others by the São Paulo State Court of Auditors (TCE-SP). Work at the Vargem Limpa Sewage Treatment Station in Bauru (SP) is at a standstill TV TEM/Reproduction Only 2.85% of sewage treated The completion of the Vargem Limpa ETE is considered fundamental to improving basic sanitation in Bauru, which currently treats only 2.85% of the sewage generated, according to the 2026 Sanitation Ranking, released by Instituto Trata Brasil (ITB). Among the 100 most populous cities in Brazil, Bauru occupies 79th position in the general ranking, with a score of 4.98 out of 10. Survey shows that sewage treatment in Bauru is among the 100 worst in the country TV TEM/Reproduction In the specific sewage treatment criteria, the city is the worst in the state of São Paulo, in 98th position, worsening compared to 2025, when it treated 3.20% of sewage. The study also analyzed other basic sanitation indicators in the city: Water service: 94.02% Losses in water distribution: 44.26% Average investment per capita: R$ 23.94 -- well below the R$ 225 estimated by the National Sanitation Plan for universalization of services